Why did Nitish Kumar walk out of the NDA? Three explanations have been offered. The first is Nitish’s own version. He says that he cannot be part of an alliance whose effective prime ministerial candidate is Narendra Modi, who Nitish regards as anti-Muslim and divisive. Read more

I don’t know if you have noticed but today, Friday 5 April, is the 14th day of Arvind Kejriwal’s indefinite fast. Kejriwal has lost 8.5 kilos and as a diabetic, his condition must give cause for concern. Read more

Now that Sanjay Dutt has said that he does not want a pardon, let’s end this debate once and for all. If Sanjay is willing to pay his debt to society, having exhausted all his legal options, then we should not stand in his way. Read more

Two aspects of yesterday’s bomb blasts in Hyderabad worry me. The first has to do with the identity of the bombers. Judging by past experience, it is probably fair to say that Indian investigators will not do a lot of detective work. In the case of previous attacks, various police forces have competed with each other to arrest the men they believe are responsible, without doing any investigation to actually determine guilt or responsibility. Read more

If you believed the news channels then the horrific beheading of one of our soldiers on the India-Pakistan border came out of nowhere. In fact, Indian and Pakistani troops have been battling each other in that area after Pakistan protested about the Indian army’s construction of observation posts in October. Read more

Sometimes it is hard to believe that the UPA government, which lurches from crisis to crisis these days, is the same government that won a triumphant victory after a successful first term. And yet, the principal players are much the same. The few portfolios may have been changed but it is the same men and women who took the UPA through its first term who are in charge today. Read more

The Punjabis who came to Delhi after Partition tended to be entrepreneurial. Many went on to become millionaires, amassing large fortunes and forever changing the character of India’s capital. What made Inder Gujral different was that he chose to use his considerable talents not to make money but to make a name for himself. Read more

Each year, I wake up on 26/11 full of sadness. I mourn those brave people who gave their lives for my city. I mourn the innocents who were murdered by Pakistani terrorists. And I say a silent prayer, hoping that something like this never ever happens again. Read more